


Steno archives

by Khalehla



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, German National Team, M/M, Random & Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24857380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khalehla/pseuds/Khalehla
Summary: A collection of random Bernd Leno/Marc-Andre ter Stegen fics.Mostly incomplete scenes with various ratings - for your enjoyment.
Relationships: Bernd Leno/Marc-André ter Stegen
Comments: 15
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Salat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salat/gifts), [futureduchessmarie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureduchessmarie/gifts).



> This is what happens when you go through old archives and find a whole bunch of stories/chapters/scenes that never got published.
> 
> For Salat and Futureduchessmarie, who are still flying the Steno flag for us all :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Souls on Fire universe, where they manage to sneak away for a secret holiday during summer break.

By the end of the week, Marc realises that they are probably going through what is more commonly known as a ‘honeymoon period’, which makes him laugh, because trust them to do everything backwards. After five years of being  _ together _ -together, and twice as long having some sort of a relationship already, they’re only now just acting like love-sick puppies. Which makes Marc inwardly cringe at himself a little, but doesn’t necessarily stop him from getting irritated if he goes for more than ten minutes without at least having Bernd in his line of sight.

They’d gotten into this routine now, of Bernd waking up first to order breakfast, and once it came, they’d move out to the deck, where Bernd would eat and Marc would either sleep a little bit longer, head in the other keeper’s lap, or join Bernd for breakfast. Then they’d spend the day swimming, or on the shore, or just being lazy and reading. But always touching, always kissing, always being in each other’s presence. It was as though being apart was actually physically painful, and for a brief, panicked moment, Marc actually wondered how he would survive when they got back to Germany.

But he knows, of course, that this two week period was like a bubble in time that they’d stepped sideways into, and wasn’t really a part of their reality while they were still playing. Once they got back, they’d slip into the roles they’d always played seamlessly, and life would go back to normal. But they’d always have this; one day,  _ this _ would be normal for them.

“When things get really tough, always remember this,” Bernd whispers to him on the last night as they lay tangled in each other. “This is what we’ll have one day, don’t forget.”

And Marc had pulled the other keeper to him, breathing him in, placing tiny kisses along his jaw. If, when hate and anger and lack of a reason to keep fighting still hadn’t managed to separate them, what now when genuine love and affection ruled them both? Forever is a promise they intended to keep - Marc would never,  _ could _ never forget this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: still footballers, but have matured past the hate-filled rivalry part of their relationship
> 
> So much fluff; a gave myself a toothache re-reading this.

“I want to tattoo my name all over your skin,” Marc says into his shoulder.

“Maybe not all over,” Bernd laughs lightly, “but maybe we can get small ones? Here?” And he brings Marc’s hand up to his mouth so he can place a kiss on his ring finger.

“Really?” Marc inhales sharply, clasping their intertwined fingers tighter.

“Yeah, I was gonna wait until after Christmas, but hey…”

Bernd disentangles himself momentarily in order to reach for his phone, settling back and swiping through his pictures. “I asked Nico to make a couple, what do you think?” he asks, holding the phone so that Marc can see over his shoulder.

“Why? And when?” Marc asks after flipping through the designs.

“It’s not the first time you’ve mentioned tattooing your name on me, and I’m half scared we’re gonna get drunk one day and get them done in some butt-ugly design and by then it’ll be too late,” Bernd says, only half-joking. “If it’s gonna happen anyway, I at least want to control it; I don’t want ‘Marc-André’ in red typewriter font permanently tattooed on my skin, thanks.”

Marc laughs into his shoulder, tightening his grip around his counterpart’s waist. “Fair enough,” he concedes. “Any one in particular you like the most?”

Bernd swipes back until he stops at a monogram design, ‘MA” intertwined into a ‘B’. “Here?” he kisses Marc’s ring finger again. “Or here?” Bernd places a kiss to Marc’s wrist this time.

“Won’t that be a bit hard to hide?” Marc asks.

“Yeah, which is why I was thinking in white?”

“Good idea,” Marc agrees. “I take it you’re gonna ask Nico to do them himself?”

“God yes! I don’t want the media fucking finding out!”


	3. [the AU with girlfriends (kinda)]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She’d always been extremely intelligent, and it’s part of what Marc had loved about her, so it shouldn’t have taken him by surprise that she had figured out pretty quickly that he hadn’t been so heartbroken when they broke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An IMPORTANT note:
> 
> This is set in the Hearts on Fire universe some time after Marc moves to England (with Mario); Sophie (B's fiancee) is mentioned and Dani (M's wife) plays a central role in this fic.
> 
> This fic was written VERY early on when I started writing fanfic, and it was an exercise in exploring fans' relationships to the players (or whoever they are fan-ing) and their significant others. So there are real life partners in this stand-alone, and they represent an aspect of fandom especially as seen in RPF:
> 
> Sophie - the SO that we love to hate. We often judge her and find her wanting, because she's only with so-and-so for the fame and money, amiright?  
> Dani - the SO we have decided is perfect for so-and-so and and unlike "Sophie", is in this relationship for realsies.
> 
> Aside from Ana Ivanovic (and to a lesser extent, Lisa Mueller) I personally don't follow real-life SOs and quite frankly prefer writing fic where they are are either non-existent or play the role of best friend etc. So the two ladies here are not even how I would right them, they are just a representation of how fans tend to relate to them. 
> 
> If you were offended by anything in this note, please feel free to stop reading here, because you're not going to like the fic. If you decide to read it, and are comfortable, please leave a comment, I'd like to know what you think.
> 
> (Oh and advance warning: it kinda cuts off abruptly in the end because I used some parts of the original piece in another fic and this story never officially made it into any of my storylines)

She’d always been extremely intelligent, and it’s part of what Marc had loved about her, so it shouldn’t have taken him by surprise that she had figured out pretty quickly that he hadn’t been so heartbroken when they broke up.

“You’ve found someone, haven’t you?”

Marc stiffens slightly. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re  _ happy _ ,” Daniella says as though it’s the most natural thing in the world, “and I haven’t seen you this content since we were still in Barcelona.”

Marc doesn’t know what the look on his face is, but it makes Dani laugh loud. 

“Who is she?” she asks, delighted.

He tries to keep his expression as neutral and casual as possible when he says, “There is no new girl, Dani.”

Wrong answer, because now Daniella goes from teasing to stunned amusement, and she laughs even louder. “Please tell me you and Bernd finally got your shit together?”

Marc, rather unfortunately, had been drinking from his glass of water when his ex-girlfriend had said that, and he started choking painful as the water went down the wrong hole.

“What?” he finally manages to croak. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh don’t look at me like that,” she says, “you’re actually quite obvious when you know what to look for.”

“I don’t understand,” he says, stunned.

“You’ve always had a rather unique... erm,  _ passion _ whenever you talked about him or he was brought up,” she tells him seriously, “and then you guys kept getting called up to the senior team together and you both seemed intent in showing the world that you were fine.”

“We’re rivals but team mates, of course we have to be civil,” Marc explains, somewhat exasperated; the media  _ never _ got their relationship right.

“Yes, but this is different, isn’t it?” she asks gently.

He wants to deny it, because he had no idea that she even knew that there was more than just historical rivalry between them, and he feels suddenly guilty that even when they were still together, his counterpart was still digging under his skin. So Marc doesn’t say anything, just smiles at her ruefully, waiting for the anger and bitterness.

To his surprise, she just smiles at him, as though understanding. “How long?”

“Not long,” he says in alarm, “after we broke up, after the move.” Well, technically, that was true; they’d really only gotten properly serious recently, after all.

“It’s okay,” Dani laughs softly, “I thought so, too. I would have noticed if there as something seriously going on while we were still together.”

There’s that word again: serious. They’re only just recently “serious” and he hasn’t quite decided if he’s giddy with relief or scared out of his mind. “How did you know though? About Bernd, I mean. I never told anyone.” That was also literally the truth.

“I didn’t,” she admits, “but if it wasn’t another girl, he’s the only one that made  _ sense _ .”

“That’s just so wrong on so many levels,” Marc says, now a little disturbed because he’d never seen his tempestuous relationship with his counterpart as sensible.

“Only because you’re seeing it much too close to the centre of the action,” Dani points out. “You’re happy, meaning no matter what it is that you guys do or don’t have, you’re happy  _ with him _ , ergo, he makes you happy.”

Marc doesn’t really know what to say to that, so he asks, “You don’t hate me? Or find it weird?”

“Why would I hate you?” she asks in surprise. “We were over long before you transferred to Liverpool. And yeah it’s a bit weird because I never realised you were bi-”

“Neither did I, to be fair,” Marc cuts in with a self-deprecating smile.

Dani just laughs. “Or maybe you’re not, and Bernd is just special.” She laughs some more when he goes pink. “Anyway, in case you’re wondering, I’m happy that you’re happy – that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

He takes her hand and kisses it. “You’re amazing, you know?”

“Of course,” she winks. Then she gets serious. “It’ll be hard, you know. You can’t stay single forever, you’re going to need a girlfriend after a couple of years.”

“He has a girlfriend,” Marc says.

“That’s right,” Dani nods, “I’ve never met her. What’s her name? Sophie, right? What’s she like?”

He doesn’t respond, face deliberately blank.

“You don’t like her,” Dani guesses, “and it’s not just jealousy, either; you genuinely don’t care for her.”

Marc tries to shrug it off. “I don’t talk to her, I don’t know her.”

“Is it real?”

“They were together for a while before… well, this.” In other words, he doesn’t know.

“Okay, maybe I should change the question to: is it  _ still _ real?”

He stills. “I don’t know.”

Dani is worried now. “That’s not good.”

“She’ll be at the DFB party, you should come with me,” Marc suggests.

“Won’t there be talk?” she asks with a lift of her eyebrows. They’d been quite open with their break up after the news broke that she hadn’t come with him to Liverpool, so she’s right, there’d be talk if she came as his partner to another event.

“I don’t really care,” Marc answers honestly. “If you want to come, I’d love for you to go; if not, I’ll just go myself.”

“And spend the night trying to set the girlfriend on fire with your mind? Nah, I’ll come, it’s at least an excuse to buy a nice new dress.”

Marc is more relieved than he realised. “I’ll buy you a whole new outfit,” he offers.

“Of course, I was going to make you!” she winks, then laughs at his exasperated expression. “Just make sure Bernd knows, I don’t want him trying to poison my drinks.”

Marc just rolls his eyes. “He won’t.”

“Just making sure,” Dani says, winking again.

To Marc’s perverse satisfaction, Daniella and Bernd had gotten on quite well when they first officially met (the fact that she had cheekily commented “Marc’s always had a thing for blonds” may have helped break the ice), but Dani had disliked Sophie immensely the first time she met her; the only other subsequent event Dani attended with him didn’t change her mind, either.

“I don’t really know her, so I shouldn’t  _ judge _ ,” Dani had said. “But she rather unfortunately comes across as someone who is in love with the idea of being in love more than anything.”

Marc must look confused and worried, because she had taken a hold of his wrist. “Talk to him,” she urged, “don’t let this stew in your mind without getting the truth from him.”

It takes him a month of doing just that and Bernd getting the shits at his petty arguments before he finally says something. Rather serendipitously, they’d been discussing Sophie and a party she wanted Bernd to go to; it was on a night before his day off, so there was every chance of him staying with her overnight because of the lack of training the next day.

Marc doesn’t know how, but he somehow manages to get his feeling across. “If you’re still sleeping with her, I’m going to politely request that you  _ stop _ .” He’s not sure what’s more tightly clenched, his teeth or his grip on the controller.

Bernd had looked sideways at him, then back to the TV, before finally saying “Okay?”

It’s the first and last time they ever bring that particular topic up.

Three months later, Marc and Dani are having dinner the same night that Leverkusen have their club gala, and Dani rather smugly shoves her phone in front of his face.

“What am I looking at?” he asks, confused.

“Bernd is there.”

Marc raises an eyebrow. “He’s their goalkeeper, so that’s rather expected, don’t you think?”

She tuts rather impatiently at him, then says, “Yes, but he’s  _ alone _ .”

Oh, right. That hadn’t even registered. “And?”

“It  _ means _ ,” she says, taking her phone back from him, “that they’d broken up.”

“You don’t know that, she could just have been busy.”

Dani gives him a withering look. “She would have known about the event as soon as Bernd did; trust me, if they were still together, she would be there right now.”

Marc shrugs, trying to act disaffected. “Okay. I still don’t see what the big deal is.”

“Stop acting like you don’t care, I know you, remember?” Dani leans in, as though to emphasise her point. “It  _ means _ that he’s single, Marc, and by extension, it means that he listened to you.  _ That _ , my boy, is very very important.”

This time it only takes Marc two weeks to bring it up. “I’m thinking of taking Dani to the club Christmas party, she always enjoys them.”

Bernd nods. “Get her to bring your DSLR so you can take proper photos.”

“That’s a good idea,” Marc agrees. He hesitates, then asks, “Have you taught Sophie how to use the new camera yet? Or will you be taking the compact?”

Bernd pauses for a moment before replying. “No, but she won’t be coming anyway so it’s not an issue.”

“Oh?” Marc tries to keep his tone neutral, “why not?”

“We broke up,” Bernd replies shortly.

Marc waits a couple of heartbeats before trying to ask as casually as possible, “Since when? You never told me.”

Bernd gives him a strange look, then says, “Three months ago. And you never asked.”

Three months. So that was soon after…  _ oh _ . “Can I ask why?”

Bernd shrugs. “It was the right thing to do.”

Again,  _ oh _ . “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Bernd asks, somewhat surprised. “It was kinda my decision any way?”

“Well, you were together for a long time so forgive me for assuming you’d be heartbroken” Marc says, rather belatedly realising how snarky and just a little bit jealous that sounded.

Bernd just looks at him for a few seconds, before nodding. “True, but that’s over now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last note: did you pick up how Dani fell into very "fandom-ish" behaviour by judging Sophie ever so slightly even when she didn't really know the other lady?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time someone gives them a label - an alternate version

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the alternate version of the mini-scene in Chapter 2 of An Unexpected Interlude

The first time anyone gives them a label, they’re typically awkward in handling it.

“So, apparently I own a house in Stuttgart,” Bernd says to his brother on one of their regular calls.

“Technically, it’s a flat, and technically, you don’t own it until Marc signs it over to you, but yeah, you own a house in Stuttgart.”

“You obviously knew about this from the start?”

“Of course. I had to look over the place first and who else was going to help him with it?”

“Why would he do this?”

“You know, that’s what I was going to ask you as well. When most normal couples fight, the person in the wrong usually apologises;  _ your _ boyfriend bought you a flat. What in the world did he do that he’d have to apologise so hard?”

“He’s not-”  _ my boyfriend _ , is what Bernd is going to say, but that’s not really true. They’re official now. There’s even feelings involved and words exchanged and introductions to parents made, so if Marc- André wasn’t his boyfriend, then what was he?

“We haven’t fought in months – there isn’t anything he should be apologising for,” Bernd says instead.

“So what’s the flat for then?”

“He said it’s my birthday present.”

Daniel whistles, impressed. “ _ Damn _ , that’s one hell of a birthday present. Tell Marc if he needs something to spend all his footballing cash on, I’m really liking the new BMW SUV.”

Bernd rolls his eyes even though his brother can’t see him. “You don’t need a new car. And if you really needed one, I’m not going to let Marc get it for you – you can afford to buy your own.”

Daniel just laughs. “Look, I have to go. Don’t forget to remind him we’ve got the family dinner next month.”

“Sure.”


End file.
